Doha — A Qatari judge ruled Monday that no one will serve time in prison for a May 2012 Doha mall fire that left 19 dead, including nursery school children, local media reported.
The Court of Appeal, however, ordered the five defendants to pay compensation to the victims’ families in the form of “blood money,” as laid down under Islamic law, according to the Doha News website.
Many of the 13 children killed suffocated after a blaze broke out at a nearby Nike sports store, caused by faulty wiring.
They included two-year-old triplets from New Zealand.
Children from France, Spain and Japan also perished as did teachers from the Philippines and South Africa.
Two firefighters were also among the dead. A fifth defendant was given a one-year suspended sentence, Doha News said.
